Television

Sunday, March 11, 2012

Minnesota Governor Rejects Expansion of Castle Doctrine

Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton vetoed a revised version of the Castle Doctrine that would have expanded the
cases in which people could use deadly force, reported The Associated Press.

In his veto letter, Dayton cited opposition to the bill from
police groups who said it could legalize murder in some cases. "When they strongly oppose a measure, because they believe it
will increase the dangers to them in the performance of their duties, I cannot
support it," Dayton wrote.

Minnesota's Castle Doctrine allowed the use deadly force in defending a home or dwelling. The
new bill would have expanded the definition of dwelling to include a hotel room,
tent, car or boat.

The legislation also would have created a presumption that a
person who uses deadly force did so believing they were in danger of harm or
death. Current law says deadly force may be used if it is what a reasonable
person would do, and if there is no way to safely retreat. The bill would have
removed the obligation to retreat, reported The Associated Press.

Dayton said state law already allows law-abiding citizens to use
deadly force to defend themselves or others — either inside or outside of their
homes — as long as the use of deadly force constitutes "reasonable force."

About Matt

An analysis of crime and punishment from the perspective of a former prosecutor and current criminal justice practitioner.
The views expressed on this blog are solely those of the author and do not reflect the opinions or postions of any county, state or federal agency.